REFLECTIONS OF YOU (Brighten Magic Academy Book 1) Read online

  "I've always loved curvy. It’s the trend now too," I commented. I should have looked away, but it was rather difficult to say the least. Then, a male who had been hitting on her all night created a long cloak to put around her shoulders and now they were heading upstairs, probably to have some sexy time. I sighed, shaking my head while I drank a good amount of my beer.

  "Is that a tactic females use to get a guy in bed?" Braxton asked me.

  "Sometimes. Depends on the person but I wouldn't do something like that. Looks desperate to me. No offense to any of them and they have their own morals, but I don't need to get naked in the middle of a party to get sex," I mumbled.

  "Have you and Logan done it?" he asked in a low voice. I feel my cheeks grow red as I looked away, continuing to sip on my drink.

  "That's a no then. How long have you two known each other?" Braxton questioned.

  "I think since I was three? He's two years older than me; I just remember we've always been friends and our families have always been close. I think Logan probably has a better recollection of how long we've been friends," I admitted. I didn't remember much from my early childhood. Sure, I had lots of sweet memories but I only remembered a few of them, and of course everything that happened when Gabriel died.

  "So you've been friends for a good fifteen plus years. Can I ask when you started dating?" he inquired.

  "Last week."

  "You guys waited that long huh?” he commented, drinking more of his beer.

  "I guess. Maybe I just didn't see us as a thing back then. Everyone else did and we were pretty inseparable during school. I guess, we just didn't acknowledge our interest in each other until...well, until he kissed me," I confessed quietly. The music was loud and booming, but I knew there could be a few people who had sensitive hearing like myself and might try to listen to our conversation.

  "Understandable," Braxton replied.

  I turned to look at him. "Why didn't you attend Brighten earlier? You don't have to answer but I've been wondering."

  He was quiet for a moment, his eyes scanning around our little spot before he returned to meet my gaze. "I wanted to keep an eye on my brothers,” he admitted.

  "Why? I know they act a little younger than their age but I think in most situations, they would be just fine," I acknowledged.

  "I didn't want them to get caught up in this club thing,” he spoke quietly.

  "You’re scared they would get involved?"

  "It's something you don't realize is happening until it’s too late," Braxton commented.

  "You make it sound like a gang."

  "Something along those lines."

  "How would you know?" I asked. His green eyes met mine and I noticed the gold in them looked more apparent tonight than usual. Maybe it was due to the flashing lights twirling around the room, but they were mesmerizing to gaze into.

  "I was a part of it once,” he revealed. I blinked, completely confused by his words.

  "But...isn't this your first time at Brighten?"

  "No. It's Maximus and my second time. We both took breaks and it got approved by the administration because of our high marks. We could have started where we left off, but we decided to restart with the others,” he confessed.

  We were both silent as a few girls walked past us, blinking their eyes and scanning us in a flirtatious manner. I gave them a small smile but continued drinking my beer. We waited for them move away to the next group of guys before we returned to our conversation.

  "Can I ask why you dropped out?" I questioned.

  "I wasn't a buff or overly attractive guy back then," he confessed. I fought not to roll my eyes and he grinned at my struggle. I could tell he was trying to lighten the mood a little. "In all seriousness, I wasn't the best student. I had power, sure, but I didn't know how to use it or control it. That led to a few screw ups and even though I was worthy of this club, I didn't have the control or guts to stick with it. I pulled out because I knew once I graduated, my brothers would be next up and if they targeted me for my power, they might do the same to them."

  "It's that bad, huh?" I whispered. Gabriel. Were you a part of this?

  "You said you're here because your mom mistook you for your older brother, right?" Braxton whispered.

  I noticed the hint of magic in the air, ensuring our words were kept between us. I stared into his eyes, wondering if I could tell him about it. They could have figured it out by my last name, but many people forgot about the incident like they did anything that didn’t really impact them directly.

  The world would always move on, it’s just the individuals affected that would have the lingering memory of their lost loved one.

  "I bet everyone has forgotten or graduated since then but my older brother died here. You see the left tower where they would practice wind magic through flight?"

  Braxton nodded. "Yes. The one they shut down and haven't used for years."

  "It was closed after his murder. They are opening it back soon, but it's only for advanced students or you can be kicked out of the school or charged for being up there," I revealed.

  "Your brother was the one who was pushed over the edge by that Huntly dude," Braxton realized. I slowly nodded. His stern expression showed hints of anger but then he hid it just as quickly.

  "When I was a part of their club, that incident came up once in conversation. Some punk was asking about it. Your brother hadn’t been a part of that club, but they wanted to recruit him. He declined which led to them arguing and apparently they threatened him with something. I don't know exactly what, but it led to him taking the initiation test. They were supposed to scare him, but he and the person who was acting leader got into an argument and you know what happened next," Braxton concluded gravely.

  I was silent, returning my gaze to the party happening before us. A part of me was happy to know Brother hadn't been necessarily a part of this club, but I was angered that he had been threatened and forced into something which ultimately led to his death. He didn't deserve to die.

  I felt a hand rub my back and I looked back to Braxton, who was staring forward while finishing his beer. "I enrolled again not only to ensure my brothers didn't experience the bullying I did, but to try and shut down whatever this club is. Maybe it’s stupid and risky, but if I can prevent inconsequential deaths from happening, I'll do it. Maximus is willing to help me," he revealed. My female side was in awe that in this large crowd of people he was willing to openly give me comfort regarding the situation.

  "I'll help," I replied; my deep voice was devoid of emotion which made Braxton turn to meet my hard gaze.

  I was angry and sad but I was determined to stop this so-called club. My brother's death may have been forgotten by many, but it changed my entire life.

  It ruined my innocent mind that thought the world was a nice place and showed me how cruel and evil it could really be. I had to grow up a lot faster than a child should have in order to support Mother who couldn't handle another loss in our little family, and later with the onset of her disease.

  His hard expression softened and he reached up to ruffle my hair. "I'll think about it. I don't want Logan and Nixon deciding to kill me and hide my body,” he mumbled.

  "Logan wouldn’t. Nixon...I don't know for sure. Wait, why only them?" I wondered. Braxton grinned before he starting chuckling. He turned around and calling the bartender for two more beers.

  "Jinn, I know you’re getting used to the complexities of being a male, but even you should be able to tell Nixon's into you. Both sides of you, I might add."

  My cheeks flushed and I turned around to rest my arms on the table, watching as the bartender brought us our beers.

  "I don't see how being a male would make it easier to tell if someone likes you," I mumbled, reaching for my beer.

  Braxton laughed and leaned in to whisper in my ear. "Trust me, Jewel, we're a lot more direct in our approach." His deep voice made my cock twitch and I wondered if that was my body’s actual response to how s
eductive his voice sounded, or if it was just the beer making him sound heavenly.

  "Tease," I mumbled under my breath, distracting myself by taking a drink.

  "Make sure I'm third in line," he replied with a wink and I almost choked on my beer.

  "You're can’t be serious," I mumbled.

  "I'm very serious,” he replied, taking the beer from my hand.

  I frowned at him. "Why are you taking that?"

  "Because I promised Logan I would only let you drink two alcoholic beverages and your face is getting red."

  "My face isn't red because of the alcohol," I huffed and blushed harder when he gave me a playful grin.

  "I'm well aware of that, Jinn."

  I grumbled under my breath something along the lines of 'I hate you and will get revenge.' Then I noticed a group of girls heading our way. The middle chick was the one who had complimented me earlier. Her blonde locks were in the perfect set of curls to match her bright blue eyes; she reminded me of a Barbie doll. She was Caucasian with large breasts that looked like they would pop out of her pink bandage top at any moment. She was skinny and wore short cut-off blue jeans that I could tell would give you a peek of her ass from the way they rode up when she walked. She and her two other brunette friends had proud smiles on their face, looking like they knew they were hot and at the center of attention .

  I wasn't impressed and wasn’t attracted to any of them so I turned my attention back to Braxton who'd noticed their approach but seemed uninterested as well.

  The girls came up to us and I reached out and took my beer, knowing I'd probably need the extra buzz to deal with this confrontation. Here comes trouble.

  "Hey there, cutie. You've been the talk of the night," the blonde chick announced. I slowly turned on my stool to give her a playful smile.

  "Who exactly do you mean, seeing as there's two of us here?" I pointed out, eyeing her up and down as if I was actually interested in her. I was glad Alice wasn't here or she'd laugh her ass off and lose it.

  I side glanced at Braxton who had the biggest grin on his face as he continued to drink his beer.

  "Ah...well, you're both hot,” she replied sweetly.

  "I never knew a man's back could be hot enough to catch a girl's attention. I guess I should turn around again," I teased, slowly turning back around to finish my beer. Braxton's shoulders shook as he resisted the urge to laugh.

  "That's not...I didn't mean it like that,” she faltered, trying to maintain her sweet voice which only made me roll my eyes and wish I could gag for added effect. Braxton turned slightly to look over his shoulder at the girl.

  "Oh, my back doesn't meet the requirement? Alright," he sighed, finishing the last of his beer before pulling his wallet out to tip the bartender.

  "Hey Jinn. Let's go find Nixon," Braxton suggested, handing a twenty to the bartender. Then he slid off his stool.

  I grinned, turning my attention back to the girls. "I'll see you ladies later." I winked, hopping off the stool and following Braxton's lead.

  We headed to the second floor, chuckling the whole way. "And you call me a tease," Braxton laughed.

  "I'm just playing with them. I meant no harm. You, however, are gonna give women heart palpitations," I replied, meaning my words. I could only fathom how sexy Braxton's voice would sound while he kissed my neck and whispered sweet words...ugh, I had too much to drink to be thinking like this.

  Braxton placed a hand on my shoulder to stop me from going forward, his once happier expression was now a stern look and his lip was a firm line. I followed his gaze, noticing a group of guys in really fancy clothing talking to Nixon. I looked around for Logan but couldn't spot him on this floor. The vibe and how uncomfortable Nixon looked told me he really wasn't enjoying himself.

  I closed my eyes, enhancing my hearing with a bit of magic which was as easy as summoning fire with a snap of my fingers.

  "I don't know. He's giving me gay vibes, that's all. I'm not picking on him,” a tall redhead scoffed.

  "You’re a strong one though. Can't believe you’re a freshman. If you are gay, where's your boyfriend?" another male with shoulder-length black hair questioned.

  "Not here yet," Nixon replied calmly with a blank expression.

  "Or invisible,” the redhead laughed, shaking his head; the two other guys joined in. "You do meet our requirement though, but I really doubt you have a 'boyfriend.' Just admit you're here alone. We don't normally allow gays, but I guess if your 'partner' is pretty strong we'd let you off the hook."

  "Ya. You wouldn’t want to have a tough time on your first day of classes now, would you?" the black haired guy joked, but I could sense the seriousness in his words.

  I frowned and shook Braxton's hold from my shoulder and walked straight up to them.

  "Jinn," Braxton snarled after me but I ignored him as I approached the group with a smile.

  "Nixon. There you are," I greeted. His eyes went wide at my intrusion and the guys moved apart to look me over. I let go of my hold on my power for a second, wanting to make it known that I wasn't in the playful mood as I moved to stand next to Nixon. I rested my arm on his shoulder.

  "I've been looking for you. I thought I said to meet me down at the bar?" I said softly, leaning in to press a light kiss to his neck. He blushed, turning his head to meet my stare.

  "I was there earlier but wanted to check what was going on up here," Nixon replied, playing along.

  "No worries. At least I found you. Who are these guys?" I asked, eyeing each of them. From the way the black haired guy and the third guy who had dark green hair shivered, I knew my eyes had shifted back to their gold coloring. The redhead stood his ground and smiled at me.

  "Is this your boyfriend, Nixon? Everyone's been talking about a good looking freshman with red highlights who managed to pass one of the hardest entrance tests. Not to mention he got all five of the other guys through. Is that you?" he asked.

  I chuckled, ruffling my hair. "Man, words spread fast around here. I just felt it was a better plan than doing the whole ‘every man for himself’ thing. Why work separately when we can work together and all win?" I shrugged, finishing off my beer.

  The red hair grinned and nodded slowly. "I agree. So this guy your boyfriend? Wouldn't expect you to be gay.”

  "Yup. Trust me, the pussy can take a good pounding but men know how to take it in the ass, nice and slow. A real turn on if you ask me." I glanced at Nixon who wore a small smile on his face.

  "Hmph, I wouldn't know, but nice to see a confident couple, unlike some of these wimpy guys who are too afraid to admit their sexuality. Good to know. What's your name?"

  "Jinn Starfire," I greeted, raising my empty glass.

  The redhead raised an eyebrow at me. "Starfire?"

  "Yup. My cousin is dating one of my buddies here. We invited her but I doubt she'll show," I shrugged calmly.

  "Intriguing. Nice to meet you Jinn. My name is Nick. That's Andrew with the black hair and Eric with the dark green locks. I'll see you around in the halls. Let's chill," he winked and extended his hand. I smirked, shaking his hand firmly, my eyes never leaving his black ones.

  "Definitely," I replied.

  The guy name Eric huffed. "If you two are together, why didn't you kiss when you saw each other?" he questioned, eyeing me and Nixon with a frown. I noticed Braxton begin to approach us and could see how tense Nixon's shoulders got. I know neither of us thought they would ask, but I was in a relaxed mood and didn't give a shit right now.

  "You're right," I chuckled, glancing over to Nixon who slowly turned to face me. I didn't delay, lowering my lips to his.

  Kissing as a guy felt no different to me. I could taste the citrus of whatever he was drinking, and wondered if it was tequila. I slipped my tongue into his mouth and he let out a groan, giving in and kissing me back. I prolonged the kiss for a few extra seconds before I pulled back and turned to Eric's bright red face and Andrew and Nick's stunned expressions. Even Braxton who stood behind them looke
d shocked.

  "I didn't want to be rude but I guess having an audience is exciting. Try not to get to hard down there Eric," I teased before slipping my hand into Nixon's. "Hey, Braxton! I found Nixon. Let's go find the others," I suggested, tugging Nixon to follow my lead.

  "See you guys," Nixon said with a wide smile and we made our way out with Braxton, leaving all three of those guys speechless. They must have thought Nixon was some shy kid but the smile he gave them was wicked and full of dangerous intent.

  We moved downstairs and Braxton shook his head. "Jinn, you’re a troublemaker. What if everyone finds out you just kissed Nixon?" He didn't sound mad at all, his tone of voice giving off more amusement than anything.

  "Couldn’t care less. Everyone can talk shit. Doesn't give me good grades. If they have something to say, they can come say it in my face," I replied. Nixon squeezed my hand and I looked over my shoulder at him as we waited for the crowd at the bottom of the stairs to move.

  "Thanks, Jinn,” he whispered. I nodded, squeezing his hand back. Hmmm, we should find the others and ditch. This party is so overrated. Fuck, I really need to pee. I shouldn't have had all that beer to drink..

  "Braxton, I'm gonna go find the bathroom. Go find your bros and Maximus. I'll look for Logan after I’m done," I suggested.

  Braxton looked hesitant but Nixon offered, "I'll go with him."

  Braxton nodded. "Alright, meet up front and don't get distracted or cause trouble,” he stressed, looking at me.

  "I'll be good for you," I winked and noticed a blush creep into his cheeks before he glanced away with a pout.

  "You need to lower that charm of yours next time,” he grumbled and walked away. I chuckled and Nixon grinned as we made our way to find the washroom.

  We found the washrooms which looked like the typical ones you'd find at a restaurant instead of what you’d expect to see in someone's home but I couldn't care less. I just really needed to pee. I walked in with Nixon in tow, about to head to the stall.

  "Why you going to the stall?" Nixon asked.

  "Because peeing standing up is weird and I don't have good aim," I confessed sheepishly. I'd tried peeing in the toilet at home. Let’s just say it was a horrendous disaster with urine flying everywhere OTHER than the damn toilet bowl. Why was aiming this damn thing so hard?